Friends and Family
by Geminangel
Summary: Set during “And Jesus Bought a Casserole”. Zack enlists Jondy’s help to rescue Max. Unexpectedly Jondy brings some wild friends along and their past catches up with them at a very bad time.
1. Second Family

Summary: Zack phones Jondy to get her to come and help rescue Max at the beginning of 'And Jesus Brought a Casserole'. Jondy turns up with three friends to help take down the DNA lab, but their past catches up with them at a very bad time.  
  
I own nothing of Dark Angel but the characters Fay, Sam and Radar are mine.  
  
Family and Friends  
  
Chapter 1 – Second Family  
  
The bar was quiet that night. There were two older guys sitting in a booth, quietly drowning their sorrows, and a young couple who could barely keep their hands of each other. This suited Jondy fine because her three best friends, her second family, were lounging on the bar stools opposite her, laughing and joking. Then the phone rang and Jondy's life was turned upside down.  
  
Jondy knew what she had to do, just as her friends knew that they had to go with her to help her as she had helped them. They arranged to meet her outside the bar in half an hour which would give them all time to go back to their apartment to pack. Jondy stayed at the bar to finish her shift and hand her notice in. When it was time to meet them Jondy left the bar and saw her friends waiting across the street and went and joined them.  
  
She was best friends with Fay who'd had a really tough childhood. Fay never knew her father and when he left her mother had turned to alcohol to numb the pain. Fay was neglected and the confused and unloved ten-year old ran away from home to take her chances on the street. Even Jondy was impressed with the fighting skills that Fay had picked up and her skill with knives, that was just scary!  
  
Jondy had fallen for Radar the day they met, even though at that time they were complete opposites. He was gentle and shy and lacked the confidence to survive in the underworld of post-pulse America. One thing he didn't lack was intellect and he had more skill with computers then anyone Jondy had ever met. As Jondy had gradually brought him out of his shell, his confidence grew and his innocent charm proved useful in his new, part-time career as a con-artist.  
  
Sam was smart, tough and nobody's fool – not only that, he was well connected. One phone call and Sam could find out about the latest players in town. His father had been a player and Sam had accepted that he wasn't always on the right side of the law. He had been a go-between for the gangs which controlled the underworld, but Sam knew his motives were good. He had only ever wanted to help protect innocent people who may have otherwise died in the cross-fire when misunderstandings arose between rival gangs. On Sam's fifteenth birthday he had come home from a celebration with a few close friends to find his father's bullet-ridden body left on the doorstep. Sam had made a vow that day that he would not rest until his father's death had been avenged. Sam was talking on the phone, well yelling.  
  
"Look you pencil pushing, no-good son-of-a-bitch, put Mr Sanchaz on the God damn phone this second or I swear I'll squeeze every breath out of your pathetic excuse for a human body."  
  
The raw anger in Sam's voice was in complete contrast to the casual smile and wink he threw in Jondy's direction as she approached him with eyebrows raised.  
  
"That's my boy," laughed Fay, but her wide smile faded as she saw Jondy's downcast expression.  
  
"Hey girl, you ready for this bitch?" she asked looking worriedly at her best friend.  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be. Who's Sam yelling at?" Jondy asked.  
  
"Some source he's trying to use to get us through the city check- points, I think. Or it could be the guy he was investigating that murder for. Not sure," she replied fiddling at the back of her motorcycle.  
  
"It's the check-point guy. He's already yelled at the other guy's secretary," Radar informed them.  
  
"Thank you," Sam said sarcastically.  
  
"You do know that if we want to reach Seattle by morning we have to go now don't you?" asked Fay reaching for her helmet.  
  
"Three minutes ok," Sam begged pointing at his phone.  
  
"So what's your brother like then Jond?" asked Radar, putting his arm around her.  
  
"Well, he hates anyone doing anything to one of his sisters, even if it is innocent," Jondy began, turning around to look into her lover's eyes," and he especially hates things that aren't innocent." Jondy finished her sentence by giving Radar a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
"I've risked my life conning thousands of pounds out of people, risking my life for a kiss from my girlfriend is nothing," he replied pulling her gently towards him.  
  
Sam finally hung up and turned to face his friends.  
  
"Ok guys, we're in business. Cover story, we are going to pick up an organ from Harbor Lights Hospital," Sam smiled then walked over to Fay and planted a kiss on her nose.  
  
"Proud of me?" he asked.  
  
"Always," she replied looking deep into his eyes.  
  
"Everyone ready to go?" asked Radar, knowing that if Fay and Sam got into it there would be no stopping them.  
  
"Let's do this thing," cried Fay breaking away from Sam and hopping on her bike.  
  
"To Seattle and hopefully back," shouted Jondy as they all settled themselves on their bikes. Then, as one, they all hit the top of their helmets sending their visors crashing down. The helmets were mostly for show, but they also helped to keep their faces hidden when they raced at speeds far beyond the legal limit. With a last look at the city they were leaving, they rode off into the night.  
  
They travelled fast, not stopping for anything. It was when they reached Seattle that Jondy began to get anxious. Zack was going to freak, big time, when she turned up with her friends. But she didn't care; they had stuck by each other through good times and bad for years. They were family. 


	2. Memories

Summary: Zack phones Jondy to get her to come and help rescue Max at the beginning of 'And Jesus Brought a Casserole'. Jondy turns up with three friends to help take down the DNA lab, but their past catches up with them at a very bad time.  
  
Thank you to Black Rose9, Gamegirl452 and ZombieGurl98 for your reviews.  
  
**Friends and Family  
**  
Chapter 2 - Memories

It took them four hours to reach the warehouse and Jondy was worried that Zack and the others may already have left on their rescue mission. She would be dreadfully disappointed to get there and find them gone. She had spent several years looking for her family before Zack had contacted her, and to miss the first opportunity to see them in over 11 years would be terrible. She was intensely worried about Max and devastated about Tinga. There was nothing she would love more then to wrap her hands round that bastard Lydecker's neck and snap it, ending his evil and destructive life in revenge for her sister's death. But she knew she must be patient; there would be plenty of time for Lydecker. Right now she had to help ensure her sister's safety; that was the mission and that was what was important.  
  
Jondy smoothly slipped off her motorcycle and signalled to her friends to hang back and stay where they were. She removed her helmet and focused her hearing in the direction of the warehouse. She caught odd snatches at first and then began to hear clear phrases. Whilst she was doing this, Fay was trying her hardest to hold back her laughter. She thought her friend looked ridiculous with her head to one side, as if her neck could no longer support it. Jondy rolled her eyes at her and focused even harder.  
  
"Syl, Krit, what have you got?"

Jondy didn't need to hear any more. She knew that only Zack could sound so utterly commanding, even when he was asking friendly, simple questions. She turned to her friends. "

Guys, I know that this will be hard for you, but please keep your mouths shut. My brother is very... touchy when it concerns his family, and he may see you as a threat. He might decide to kill you first and ask questions later. So it's best if you let me explain everything to him, ok?" she asked.

"Like we would say anything that might get us killed," Sam exclaimed trying to sound outraged at the very thought. Jondy knew from experience that her friends had indeed opened their mouths once too often. A few instances came all too readily to mind.

There was that time when ...

"_You listen to me you punk ass kid. I am not a happy man, and when I'm not a happy man, Bruce here is not happy, and when Bruce ain't happy, arms start coming off." _

_He released his painful grip on Sam's throat, causing him to crash heavily onto the hard floor of the seedy bar. __Radar, Fay and Jondy were surrounded by a gang of vicious, trigger-happy thugs wielding sub-machine guns. _

_Sam gingerly propped himself up on one elbow and rasped, "That would just be stupid. I mean, why would you want Bruce to pull one of your arms off? I thought that wisdom was supposed to come with age, but I guess that's just grey hair." _

_The gangster's face turned purple with rage, as he pulled back a fist, ready to beat the smart-mouthed kid to a bloody pulp.  
_  
And on another occasion ...

_The gang were walking through a narrow, dingy alleyway. Just as the path widened a man stepped out from the shadows. He was waving a loaded gun and his pants were undone. __Fay looked down for a moment, her head tilted to one side considering, then she smirked and looked up, staring the flasher straight in the eye. _

_"You know you should try Viagra for that," she suggested innocently._

_ The gun came up and pointed directly at Fay's head......_

And then, of course, there was the time..... "

_Look I really didn't mean to con your daughter out of fifty–thousand dollars. It was a complete mistake, I swear," Radar told the gang leader who was advancing on him with a long-bladed knife. _

_His image was being projected back to the rest of the gang, who were in the surveillance van, speeding towards their friend. _

_"What do you mean my daughter? This is my wife!" _

_"Jesus. Baby-snatching much," Radar couldn't help but say and the blade flashed._

Jondy was brought back to the present by Radar's quiet voice.

"Don't worry Jondy. You can trust us," Radar reassured her, "we know when to keep quiet."

Jondy nodded then took a deep breath and walked over to the warehouse door. As she turned the handle she suddenly thought of something. What if Zack ordered her to leave her friends? Would she follow an order like that and abandon all that she had grown to love. They were her life now and she was in too deep with them to turn her back on them. She loved everything about the underworlds in which they lived, the contact system, the way that gangs always stood up for each other, and all the different codes of conduct they had. She even loved the creepy 'Messengers', a group of people whose only purpose was to deliver messages for their strange boss, Nightwing. If Zack tried to make her leave all that behind...

Jondy quickly came to her senses; she was worrying about herself when Max was in grave danger! She pushed open the door and stepped into the warehouse, so he could see her first. A second later the others followed her in.

"Take one more step and you're dead."


	3. Brotherly Love

Summary: Zack phones Jondy to get her to come and help rescue Max at the beginning of 'And Jesus Brought a Casserole'. Jondy turns up with three friends to help take down the DNA lab, but their past catches up with them at a very bad time.  
  
Sorry it's taken so long for me to update but I've been really busy. Thanks to Gamegirl452, Black Rose9, Rouge-X5 and ZombieGurl98 for reviewing.  
  
**Friends and Family**  
  
Chapter 3 - Brotherly Love  
  
Jondy was careful to avoid any sudden movements and she sensed that her friends had also frozen. It had been two years since she had last seen Zack and now she observed him over the barrel of a gun. He hadn't changed a bit. He still looked and acted like the perfect soldier he was born to be.  
  
"Zack, chill, these are my friends," Jondy tried to reassure him.  
  
"I don't care who the hell they are, just get rid of them or else I will," he threatened.  
  
Jondy hesitated for a moment, half expecting her friends to interrupt, but they had obviously heeded her warning and stood silently behind her.  
  
"They're here to help us rescue Max. I asked them to come. Don't worry, you can trust them," she told him calmly.  
  
Jondy's gaze shifted briefly from Zack to the two people standing either side of him. She hadn't seen either of them for 11 years, but she knew them instantly. She had spent the first nine years of her life with them and had dreamed of finding them again ever since the escape. Syl was her big sister and Krit, her little brother. So many years of wondering and wishing and here they were. But right now she had to concentrate. Zack was a threat and her eyes snapped back to him.  
  
"Oh, I can trust them, can I?" Zack sneered. "I've never met them before, but I should just go ahead and trust them. They could be spies for all I know. They could even be from Ma . . .," he stopped himself just in time. The less the strangers knew the better. He couldn't believe that Jondy could be so reckless. He expected this sort of thing from Max, but never from Jondy. Sure she was a little wild, but she had always been so very careful, and now here she was being completely irresponsible.  
  
Sam had realised what Zack had been going to say, and silently debated his course of action. He could say something, although Jondy might feel inclined to cause him serious bodily harm later on, or he could keep his mouth shut. So ... no contest then!  
  
Before Jondy could respond to Zack's outburst, Sam unexpectedly took a step forward, with his hands raised to show that he held no weapons and offered no threat, and said calmly, "it's ok, we know about Manticore and we want to help."  
  
Jondy groaned inwardly. This was really not going to help at all. Sure enough, Zack's finger tightened on the trigger and a look of fury crossed his face.  
  
"Do you even know what you're doing any more Jondy?"  
  
Her eyes flashed in warning. "I trust them," she said through gritted teeth and Zack understood. The cat DNA in her was ruling and her message was clear. Back off.  
  
"Umm, sorry to interrupt, but I think we're all here for the same purpose, to rescue Max," said a quietly spoken man standing a little way from the others. Jondy's eyes had passed over him briefly when she had first entered the warehouse. Her initial assessment had been that he was more geek than soldier. She took a closer look now and saw the deep concern which was etched into his pale face.  
  
"Hi," she smiled, "and who are you?"  
  
"He's a friend of Max's. He's helping," Zack told her curtly.  
  
Jondy's eyes slid back to Zack.  
  
"So it's ok for Max's friends to be here, is it? I bet that he didn't get a gun in his face when you first saw him." Jondy was furious now.  
  
"I probably would have, if he'd been conscious at the time. Anyway, I'm Logan," he said by way of introduction.  
  
"Look I think the practical solution would be to talk about this with a little less passion, ok?" Krit suggested.  
  
Krit had never seemed as tough as the others back at Manticore. He preferred to talk his way out of trouble if possible, but he could be as ruthless as the rest of them if the situation called for it. It was clear to him that Jondy cared deeply about the people she was with, but Zack was clearly too annoyed to see it.  
  
"No. They go now," Zack ordered stubbornly.  
  
Syl had been silent since Jondy and her gang had arrived. Like every other member of her family, she had spent years searching for her siblings, and she was thrilled that one of her younger sisters was standing right before her. Her gaze took in Jondy's long brown hair, tied tightly back in a pony- tail, her beautiful, tanned face. She was taller than Syl had expected.  
  
Syl had also taken the time to study Jondy's friends. The taller of the boys stood just that little bit closer to Jondy, his green eyes sparkling, clearly enjoying her performance. But there was more to it than just admiration. He loved her. Syl was a good judge of character, and she was pretty sure that someone who had so little control over their basic emotions could never deceive a super soldier like Jondy. Actually, Jondy's female companion was the most interesting of the group. She actually looked bored! Even when Zack had his gun pointed at them, she still looked unconcerned.  
  
"I think that they should at least tell us their names first," Syl said.  
  
"This is Fay Edwards, Sam Frost, and Radar McManus," Jondy quickly said before her brother could speak. Logan raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Quite a gang you have there," he acknowledged.  
  
"You've heard of them?" asked Zack puzzled.  
  
Logan nodded.  
  
"Yes. Well we have here an expert in infiltration, a highly skilled con artist, who's also got some pretty good computer skills, and, if I'm not mistaken, you're Daniel Frost's son," he said to Sam. "You've got even more underworld contacts than I have." Logan sounded impressed.  
  
"Well, they sound nice and trustworthy," said Zack sarcastically.  
  
Jondy had just opened her mouth to retaliate when Fay decided to make her own contribution to the discussion.  
  
She had been fairly bored for a long time now. She was here to rescue her best friend's sister, not get bitched on by some tough nut blond dude who thought he knew what was best. Time to be radical. Her hand moved rapidly to her belt, where her third favourite knife was concealed, and before anyone could move, the knife flashed across the room and imbedded itself in the wooden balcony, missing Zack's head by a fraction of an inch. Transgenics were fast, but even Zack didn't have time to react. He was amazed that a normal person could throw a knife that hard, with that much precision.  
  
Fay stared at Zack fearlessly.  
  
"If I wanted you dead, you would be. But I don't. I came here to save my best friend's sister, and that's what I'm going to do. You know nothing about me and I know nothing about you, except that you are called Zack and you had a crappy childhood. I say that you chill out, give us the benefit of the doubt, and let us get on with helping to save your sister."  
  
Zack thought for a moment then came to a decision.  
  
"Right. You can stay and help. But if I so much as think you're double- crossing us, I'll kill you," he told her menacingly.  
  
"I was counting on it," she replied nonchalantly.  
  
Just then a cell phone went off and Logan snatched it up. Everyone stood awkwardly until Radar finally walked over and removed Fay's knife from the wood. He casually threw it back to her. He then turned to Zack.  
  
"We've brought our own weapons, good stuff. Are you set?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, but we don't know much too much, except that Lydecker hasn't left the city with Max yet. Logan's in touch with some of his contacts. That should be one of them getting back to him right now."  
  
"Our bikes are outside with more of our gear," Jondy told him.  
  
Zack was just about to tell her to go get them when Logan finished his conversation and hung up.  
  
"That was a contact of mine. Military convoy just swooped in on some motel in sector eight," he told them all.  
  
"Then let's go," Zack ordered.  
  
The group turned to leave and then all hell broke loose. 


	4. New Arrivals

Summary: Set during "And Jesus Bought a Casserole". Zack enlists Jondy's help to rescue Max. Unexpectedly Jondy brings some wild friends along and their past catches up with them at a very bad time.

Thanks to my reviewers. Sorry it takes me so long to update. Can anyone tell me where the lab is that they blow up? I'm not sure if it's in Wyoming or Seattle.

**Friends and Family**

Chapter 4 – New Arrivals

The doors of the warehouse smashed open, sending splinters of wood in all directions. A military hummer bounced through, breaking heavily to avoid hitting anyone and finally screeched to a halt. Through the gaping hole where the doors used to be, three more hummers pulled up. The door of the first hummer crashed open and a dark-haired young woman jumped out. It was Max. She leapt with cat-like grace onto the hood of the vehicle and looked fearfully around at her family and the strangers standing before her. She just had time to mouth 'Manticore' and slide to the ground, before gunfire erupted all around them.

Sam, Zack, Logan and Jondy dived left towards Max and the safety of the vehicle, crashing into one another as they hit the ground. Fay grabbed Radar and simultaneously kicked over the nearby table that was laden with weapons. The two of them took cover behind it as the grenades and guns clattered across the floor. Syl and Krit had retreated behind the metal supports nearby.

The group on the floor quickly untangled themselves. Sam noted the grim expressions on the faces of the others. Unlike them he had never had the 'Manticore Experience', but he'd heard plenty from Jondy. He remained outwardly calm, though their reactions unnerved him a little. He watched as Max smiled and tenderly touched Logan's shoulder. Then she nodded at Zack and Jondy before raising questioning eyes towards him.

Sensing Max's unease, Jondy signalled to her that Sam was a friend, and then using further hand signals asked her how many soldiers they were up against. Max signalled back and Jondy's heart flew to her mouth. Max had just told her that Brin was leading 20 soldiers against them. Jondy had never known that Brin had been recaptured, and she was momentarily stunned, but she was aware that Zack was glaring at Max.

"How the hell did you come to lead 20 Manticore soldiers here?" Zack hissed venomously.

Max glared right back.

"It's not my fault. They're tracing me through the implant."

Zack rolled his eyes up then turned to Sam and Logan.

"Go round the back of the hummer," he ordered, "you'll be safer there."

Sam was about to give him the finger, when suddenly a series of twanging sounds echoed around the warehouse.

Syl and Krit meanwhile had knelt down on the floor behind the metal supports. A steady stream of blood was slowly flowing down Krit's right shoulder. Fortunately, the bullet had only had sliced through the skin, but Syl was still worried. She knew that the soldiers would soon sweep the area and Krit might be slowed down by his injury. Quickly she glanced round the support, using her superior sight to evaluate the situation. Seeing another sister ought to have felt good, but she had to face facts. Brin was the enemy now and Syl was soldier enough to treat her as such. If necessary she would kill her. She had just glanced back at Krit and was about to ask him his condition when, just like their companions several metres away, they too heard the strange twangs.

There were only two people in the warehouse who weren't surprised by the odd sounds. As soon as they had taken cover behind the overturned table, Fay had her knives out and Radar his set of mirrors. Fay glanced at him sceptically.

"How else are we gonna see their positions?" he asked her, as he carefully edged the mirrors round the table until he could get a clear view of the situation. Fay sat to the right of him, her back pressed against the table. She could feel the impact of every bullet and was worried that the metal might not hold out much longer. By the time Radar had seen all he could, she had a plan and she hoped that his scan of the area would tell her what she needed to know.

"They seem to be in groups of five," Radar said. "One lot's going left, one right, one down the middle and the rest are hanging back. They've got tasers as well as guns. I think they're here to capture not kill," he winced as another bullet smacked into the table by his head. "Although I could be wrong," he added thoughtfully. "I think the leader's a transgenic. She's the only one not wearing any body armour, but she's staying well back. I don't think the knives will work, they're too well protected."

Fay smiled at him, then leaned close.

"OK, but I can still give them a little surprise. I'll hit someone from each group and while I've got them distracted, you get to the hummer and tell them that on my signal we come out and go hand-to-hand."

Radar looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, then pulled a note from his leather pocket.

"Bet you twenty that you miss one."

"Your money's mine McManus." She grinned as they shook on it, then frowned as she realised something.

"Syl and Krit dived the other way," she pointed out.

"No problem." Radar grabbed a pen and some paper out of his pocket and scribbled something, then he glanced up at Fay.

"Usual signal, right?" he asked and Fay nodded. Radar finished his note, folded it carefully then placed it next to Fay. He watched as she took a deep breath to compose herself and then she mouthed "three, two, one". She exploded into action, sending the knives streaking across the warehouse. She knew they would not penetrate the armour, but that was not her purpose. As she had intended the knives flew straight to their targets; the soldiers felt as though they had been punched in the head as the knives impacted, making a twanging sound as they did so. They reeled from the blows, and realising that they were under attack they dived for cover, allowing Radar to dart towards the hummer.

The group by the hummer looked shocked as Radar landed amidst them. Jondy reached over and touched his shoulder in much the same affectionate way as Max had greeted Logan.

"What the hell was that?" snapped Zack heatedly.

"That would be Fay and her knives," grinned Radar. "Right, listen up. When Fay yells 'whipped' we go out and fight hand-to-hand. They've got tasers, so we're pretty sure they're going for the capture."

Max watched as Jondy nodded and Zack just looked furious. If their situation wasn't so dire she would have laughed out loud. Zack's expression was priceless. He had looked like that when he had first met Logan. If looks could kill Jondy's blond-haired friend would be meeting his maker round about now. Nevertheless, no matter how much it hurt him to do so, Zack nodded his agreement.

Krit was worried when he heard the strange noises. Then equally unexpectedly the shooting stopped and something came flying out from the table, which he caught deftly in his left hand. It was a paper aeroplane. He quickly opened it and they both read the message.

Krit looked at his sister and raised his eyebrows in question. Syl looked worried and cast a quick glance at the table, but she nodded at Krit.

As soon as Fay had released the knives and thrown the aeroplane, she ducked back down behind the table and waited for the shooting to stop. The fact that she felt no fear vaguely disturbed her. Her mentor had always told her that it was her weakness. She mentally shook herself. No, she wouldn't think of him now. She couldn't allow her inner rage to surface and distract her. His time would come. Fay pushed from her mind the resolution she had made on that fateful night, took a deep breath and yelled the signal. She paused for a fraction of a second before swinging round and kicking the table as hard as she could. Simultaneously the group by the hummer also acted.

Max leapt up on top of the vehicle and launched herself off, colliding heavily with the three nearest soldiers. Meanwhile, the table had careered into two more soldiers and Jondy took advantage of the distraction it caused. She dived out and rolled across the floor only to propel herself up and deliver a stunning roundhouse kick to the nearest soldier, breaking his nose and knocking him out. Zack was a blur as he exploded into a flying kick, which sent one of the soldiers flying back, taking down two more soldiers with him. Sam and Radar barely had time to register their amazement at the incredible speed and agility of the transgenics, before they too, emerged from the security of the hummer. With a furious war-cry they charged into the fray, fists and feet flying.

On hearing the signal Syl and Krit dived out from either side of the pillar. Syl really wanted to kick some ass. Like Jondy, she sprung up and smashed into her first opponent, who had belatedly tried to raise his gun. Her fist connected solidly with his sternum and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. She quickly looked round to check on Krit. In spite of his injury, he had still managed to deliver a killing blow to his opponent's windpipe. She instantly moved to her next target.

Sam and Radar were fighting side-by-side, both familiar from years of training with the other's technique. As one of the soldiers swung at Radar, he ducked and Sam smacked the man in the face. They were both finding the soldiers hard to fight, especially as they were wearing so much body armour, but together they made an effective team. Another soldier pointed his taser at Sam, and Radar swiftly ducked underneath and kicked upwards hard. Even Sam winced as Radar made contact with a rather delicate organ. The young soldier quietly crumpled to the ground.

After Jondy had taken down her first opponent, she whirled around as two more soldiers ran at her, weapons raised, but they didn't stand a chance. She powered towards them, jumped high in the air, kicking her legs out as she did so. Jondy felt bones breaking as her feet made contact with the soldier's faces. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a soldier advancing on Max, who was already engaged in combat. Yelling for Max to duck, which she did instantly, Jondy propelled herself into a high dive which took her over the top of Max and directly into the soldier, who grunted in pain as the two of them crashed to the ground. Max turned and smiled her thanks, before spinning round and kicking another soldier who had crept up behind her and was aiming a taser at her neck.

Zack had fought his way to Brin, and they were circling each other warily, occasionally lashing out with powerful kicks and punches. As Zack dodged a spinning hook kick, he tried to talk to his sister.

"I'm sorry we left you little sister," he apologised, but it only increased her fury.

"Why? I'm not. Come home brother. Things are better there," she replied, as she unleashed a series of stunning moves which soon had him reeling. Her recent training at Manticore was beginning to give her the upper hand. Zack was losing and he knew it. He tried desperately to fight back, but Brin was too powerful, and he suddenly found himself sprawled across the floor. He watched horrified, unable to stop her as she pulled out a gun. A shot rang out, blood splattered, and a body slumped to the floor.


	5. Picking up the Pieces

Summary: Set during "And Jesus Bought a Casserole". Zack enlists Jondy's help to rescue Max. Unexpectedly Jondy brings some wild friends along and their past catches up with them at a very bad time.

Just want to thank my reviewers, your comments are always appreciated. I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated but real life got in the way. Hope to do better!

Friends and Family

Chapter 5 – Picking up the Pieces

Brin had chosen her target carefully. Her orders were to capture any transgenics, not kill them; but civilians were expendable. She had chosen the woman because she was clearly the better fighter, faster and more ruthless than the two men. And now Brin had a clear shot. She calmly pointed the gun at Fay's heart and squeezed the trigger.

Jondy had just put another soldier down and had spun round to help Zack. In an instant she had taken in the scene before her. Radar was struggling wildly with a soldier, but he had seen the gun come up and he swiftly swung the pair of them in front of Fay just as the gun went off. Jondy was a split-second too late to stop the shot, but she caught Brin unaware and viciously punched her either side of the head. Brin collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Fay turned when she heard the gun fire and her eyes widened as she saw the blood splattered across the floor. Radar was bent over in agony, softly swearing under his breath, his hands bloody where they clutched at his side. Just in front of him in a pool of blood lay the body of the soldier. The bullet had passed straight through him and then hit Radar, just below his ribs.

An eerie silence settled over the warehouse as Max knocked the last of the soldiers unconscious. She saw Syl rush over to Zack who was still sprawled across the floor, his face a mask of blood. Max felt her heartbeat quicken as she ran to help. Meanwhile, Jondy went and knelt down by Radar's side. Fay was already there trying to pull his shirt above the wound, but Radar wasn't exactly helping. He was still swearing through gritted teeth and clasping his side with both hands. Jondy simply swatted his hands away and took a brief look. There was too much blood around the wound to see clearly so she gently ran her fingers across it. Radar looked like he was about to pass out.

"Flesh wound, you'll be fine," she looked over her shoulder. "Krit, can you give him a hand? Fay and Sam, collect up all the weapons," she ordered. Then she quickly began to move around the room, which was littered with bodies. Most of the soldiers were just unconscious, but she wanted to be sure that none of them could pose a threat. Krit came over, knelt beside Radar, and took a quick look at the wound.

"Hurts like hell, doesn't it?" he grinned down at Radar as he gestured toward his own wound. His shirt sleeve was drenched in blood. "Mm, we need bandages," he looked thoughtfully down at Radar. "Let's get you out of this jacket."

Gently he helped Radar ease his arms out of his leather jacket and slid it off. "There you go. That wasn't so bad, was it," he said conversationally. "Nice shirt, must have cost a few bucks?"

Radar, although still hurting badly, was starting to calm down, but before he could tell Krit that, yes, the shirt had cost a small fortune, suddenly found himself with a bare arm. Krit in one smooth motion had casually ripped the left sleeve clean off. Casually he folded it and pressed it hard against Radar's side. Radar hissed and grimaced in pain, "I did my best work in that shirt," he gritted out. Krit looked down on him sympathetically then took Radar's left hand and pulled it across his body to place it over the makeshift bandage.

"Right, you need to keep the pressure on that to stop the bleeding, ok?" Don't worry, it probably needs a few stitches, but you'll live.

"What about you," asked Radar, indicating Krit's bloody arm.

"Thanks, that's good of you," said Krit gratefully as he swiftly raised Radar's right arm and removed the other sleeve.

"Don't mention it," murmured Radar as Krit hurriedly tied it tight round his arm and then went to join the others.

Logan emerged from behind the hummer and hurried over to help collect up the scattered weapons. He glanced over to where Max and Syl were helping a shaky Zack to his feet and was about to help Radar up, when he sensed a sudden stillness amongst the five transgenics. Simultaneously, they had all straightened and turned their heads towards the smashed doorway. It could only mean one thing. Back-up was on its way.

Jondy made straight for the nearest hummer, the one that Max had driven in. She threw open the rear door, ready for people to climb in, then froze when she saw a bound figure lying on the floor. She recognised him instantly and felt the hatred stirring within her. It was Lydecker.

Suddenly Max was by her side and laid a comforting hand on Jondy's shoulder.

"I'll explain later," Max insisted and Jondy knew that if she wanted everybody out alive she had to think calmly. She let the hate go and grabbed Radar's jacket from the floor. She threw Radar's keys to Max.

"Take Radar's bike and go as fast as you can, it's got plenty of gas. We'll call you as soon as we've taken care of things." Max was gone almost before Jondy had finished speaking. "Logan, get Zack, Krit and Radar out of here. Syl, you go with them. Call us when you're safe. Fay and Sam, we're going to be the welcoming committee. Get the bikes out of sight. Come on everybody, move!" She could hear Radar's bike roaring away and knew Max would be safe.

Jondy helped Logan and Syl get Radar and Zack into the back of the hummer and Krit sat between them. Then Syl jumped in the passenger seat as Logan started the engine. He quickly reversed out between the other parked hummers and sped away.

Jondy ran out and joined Sam and Fay, who had been hastily hiding the assorted weapons and their motorbikes. The whole thing had only taken a couple of minutes, but now the sound of more hummers was too close for comfort.

"We need to hide, fast." Sam looked around as he spoke and then shouted to the others, "follow me," as he ran towards a small hut which had once served as a guard station, before the Pulse. They all squeezed in just seconds before the first hummer sped into sight.

"That was my nose," Sam hissed as Jondy accidentally kneed it trying to get into a better position. The three of them were crouched down underneath the low window. Jondy had a good view through a small hole in one of the wooden panels.

"We've got three hummers and a van with animal control written on it," she reported. "I'll bet any money that's the one that's tracking Max."

"So all we have to do is get to the van, steal it, and drive away," said Sam thoughtfully.

"They've secured the perimeter. We'll need a distraction," Jondy pointed out.

Fay was happy to let the other two do the planning, if it was up to her she'd just run out, knives flying and hope for the best. She became aware that the other two were staring at her.

"What?" she asked confused.

"You're our distraction," said Jondy. "You're going to go out there and get their attention while we steal their van."

"You want me to go and take a few down with my knives?" Fay asked hopefully.

"No, Fay. We're going to be a little more subtle than that," replied Jondy and then turning to Sam, "you explain."

"Fay, you are one gorgeous, sexy woman," Sam whispered in her ear as he smoothly released her hair from the tight band which held it severely back from her face, "and if we weren't in mortal danger and in a tight, confined space, with an audience, I wouldn't be able to control myself. Now, take your jacket off. There we are. And now this sweater. Much better. Give me your knives, all of them Fay. Now, get out there and distract those soldiers."

Fay had done this before, plenty of times, when she had helped Radar with his scams, but she'd had more time to prepare and more appropriate clothing and make up. She was about to voice her doubts when Jondy slipped behind the door and Sam flung her out of it. She briefly thought to close it behind her when she heard the soldier.

"Hands above your head," he ordered. "Now!"

"Thank God you folks are here. There was the most almighty gun fight, right over there. Am I safe now? I was just so frightened." Her voice had lost its usual sarcastic edge and now she sounded young and vulnerable. She flicked her long glossy mane of dark hair over her shoulder and bit her lip nervously. A few tears began to trail down her cheeks. Sam and Jondy were listening intently, waiting for the right moment to slip out.

The soldier looked Fay up and down.

"It's ok, Miss, put your hands down. Did you see which direction they went?" he asked, guiding her towards a larger group of soldiers where his superiors were.

"Well, I'm not sure. It all happened so quickly. I think they split up. Some went that way," she pointed down the road the hummers had just arrived on, "and the others that way. It was hard to see from the hut and I was trying to keep my head down." As she mentioned the hut, Fay tossed her head back that way and saw that the door was slowly opening. The soldier smartly saluted his superior officer.

"Henson, who the hell is she?" snarled an older man and Fay knew he was in command. Fay decided a few more tears wouldn't go amiss and managed a few sobs as well. What she'd really like to do would be to knee him in a very painful place, but instead she suddenly clasped her arms tightly round him, buried her face in his shoulder and started to cry hysterically.

"That's my girl," whispered Sam. "Time to go, I think." He and Jondy slipped out of the door and ran silently along the side of the van, out of sight. Jondy pressed her ear to the van's door and listened intently. She held up two fingers and Sam nodded. He quickly checked the driver's compartment, but it was empty.

"I'll drive, you get rid of them" he jerked his head towards the rear of the van and Jondy nodded.

Radar carefully opened the driver's door and slipped in silently. Jondy quickly looked out from the side of the van and, happy that Fay's performance had everyone's attention, pulled open the rear door and climbed in. The two geeks inside were no match for Jondy and she swiftly rendered the pair of them unconscious.

"Go," she yelled and Sam hit the accelerator. He made a swerving turn and headed straight for Fay and the group of soldiers. At the last moment he swerved away and Jondy threw the two geeks out. In the ensuing confusion Fay dived in through the open door. Jondy had found a loaded automatic weapon in the van and now she made good use of it. "Keep it steady," she yelled at Sam as she methodically shot out the hummers' tyres. "Ok, go."

Sam threw the wheel round once last time and then they were gone.


End file.
